July 19, 2016 at 12:02 PM

With two rounds on the same day in the Lackford Engineering Midget and Sprite Championship at Cadwell Park the day was a little rushed for everyone to be ready for the second race. We had lost a number of cars in the first race but most would repair in time for race 2.

Amongst the more simple issues were Morrisons rotor arm replacement and Morris finding a replacement screw for that carburettor. Kennerley’s helpers set about changing both the diff and clutch of his car, something they would easily do in the four hour gap.

Adams was unfortunately out for the day as was Walker after their issues in the first race. We still had 17 ready to restart by race time though.

The grid would form up in the finishing order from race one, so we had Weston on pole from Dunkley and Southcott, we should have had Wildman in fourth but the weight issue saw him demoted to the back of the grid. Cow was next on row three with Dear. Collier and Chadwick were alongside each other on row four, then came Lackford N., Burgin, Bridge, Storrar and Tewson. Perry, Morrison and Morris were at the back by virtue of their retirement order from race one with Kennerley bringing up the rear. Adams and Walker were, of course, absent.

However, we did have quite a few potential front runners at the rear of the grid and it was going to be fascinating seeing how quickly they could possibly make up ground and get up to the front.

So the grid formed and waited for the lights to start the race.

Weston took off into the lead followed by Dunkley with Southcott slotting into third around the back of the circuit and as the leaders came up to take The Mountain they were still in that order. Cow was next up with Chadwick followed by the first car making ground in the shape of Perry. Collier was next and then Morris, also taking places and making ground quickly came through. Morrison was next up from Burgin who had Lackford, Tewson, Bridge and Kennerley for company followed by Storrar and Wildman completing the order. Dear hadn’t made it unfortunately.

Next time through Weston was building a sizeable lead with Dunkley seemingly unable to stay with him while Southcott was in a steady third ahead of Cow. Perry was now fifth but had the fired up Morris right on his tail. Collier was next but coming under pressure from Morrison. Chadwick had had a misdemeanour and came through with a damaged wing just ahead of Lackford who had Wildman in his mirrors and making ground rapidly. Kennerley was ahead of Tewson and Bridge.

The order was the same on the next lap except for Morrison ahead of Collier and Wildman now in front of Chadwick, however there was drama at the mountain as Chadwick’s front wheels suddenly went in two different directions and he braked hard and pulled over. With a broken steering arm he was stranded by the Paddock entrance and we had yellows slowing everyone down while the recovery crews did their job.

The race got under way again and Morris got ahead of Perry, he would quickly make his way past both Cow and Southcott to make it into third by the flag, some distance from the winner but a great result coming from the back of the grid.

Morrison was also going for it and had got right on the tail of Perry. We witnessed several laps of these two fighting for position with Morrison just failing to find a way through by the flag. He did manage to take the class lap record though and was one of only two runners who I saw take off at The Mountain, the other being Dunkley, quite an achievement.

We lost Kennerley after eight laps with more drive train problems and as the race wound down after twelve laps out came the chequered flag.

Weston was first, ten seconds ahead of Dunkley from Morris, Southcott and Cow. Perry and Morrison next just over a half second apart with Wildman’s charge getting him to eighth. Collier was next from a lonely Burgin. Lackford held off Bridge after a race long class duel saw them finish one hundredth of a second apart with Storrar bringing Homer’s car safely back ahead of Tewson.

A great race, not so much up front, but certainly further back with those charges through the field and those class battles between Perry and Morrison and Lackford and Bridge.